Mark Winterbottom fastest ahead of Top 10 Shootout

Mark Winterbottom has led a Ford Performance Racing 1-2 in qualifying ahead of Race 14’s Top 10 Shootout at the Sucrogen Townsville 400.

The Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon driver used just one set of new soft tyres in the 20 minute session – sitting out the majority after setting an impressive 1:12.26s lap at the halfway mark.

David Reynolds and Jamie Whincup followed a similar strategy to end up second and third respectively, with The Bottle-O Falcon a full 0.27s adrift of its sister entry.

Steve Owen jumped to fourth with his final flying lap, leading a resurgent Dick Johnson Racing that will also see Owen’s team-mates Steven Johnson (eighth fastest) and James Moffat (ninth) in the Top 10 Shootout.

Will Davison, Craig Lowndes and Tony D’Alberto filled fifth through seventh, while Garth Tander languished outside the top 20 for much of the session before scraping into the 10 inside the final minute.

An early spin from James Moffat at Turn 11 was the only notable incident during the session.

Kelly Racing’s guest driver Jacques Villeneuve had a quiet session, setting his best time of the weekend so far to qualify 2.2s from the pace.